Guardian of Talon Mountain: A Mountain Man Romantic Suspense

by Delta James

I came to Glacier Hollow for answers. I didn’t expect to find him.

My brother vanished on this mountain, and no one believed me when I said something felt wrong. So I found a way to come here myself. Armed with a research grant and a quiet desperation, I set out to uncover the truth.

I didn’t count on Caleb Knox—gruff, glacial-eyed, and about as welcoming as a storm. He says I don’t belong here. Says I’m poking into shadows best left untouched.

But when accidents pile up and someone starts tracking my every move, Caleb becomes the only man I can trust. The only man I want. He’s raw. Relentless. Protective in a way that sears.

He says I’m his to protect.

But the truth I came for? It’s bigger than either of us imagined—and someone will do anything to keep it buried.

Guardian of Talon Mountain is a steamy, suspenseful mountain romance featuring a growly alpha hero, a determined heroine, and a mystery that could cost them everything.

Genres: Novella, Romance

155 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2025

About the author

As a USA Today bestselling romance author, Delta James aims to captivate readers with stories about complex heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way.

After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels, and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, hiking, and white-water rafting.

Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally with as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/34898....

Reviews

[Mariaan Belinfante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bren sets off to Glazier Hollows in the Talon Mountains in search of her brother Chris. Zeke directs her to Caleb who knows the trails and the mountains well. The initial encounter is definitely not welcoming from the stoic harden mountain man but she stubbornly pressed on. Then came the explosive kiss that cracks Caleb's ice facade and passion spiralled into an Inferno. It's still a power play for dominance. Sharing Chris's observations, they quickly realised there's a massive pipeline running illegal animal parts, etc his sister Wren, Zeke and Nate pull in and hunt is on. Stubborn Bryn, badly hurt ankle and all demands to be part of the mission. The tension builds as they realised who and what they are up to, a ghost/traitor from Caleb's past is in the midst, as well as dirty handed local, Big Pete. Snow storms and blizzards bring their own fears. A fast paced compact novel with scenic descriptions of the mountains, etc, with romance blooming hot. Just had to read almost non stop.
I received an advanced review copy and leave this review voluntary Thank you BookSirens

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’M CLIMBING INTO THE UNKNOWN

“Protector of Talon Mountain is the sizzling start to the Men of Talon Mountain series—where danger runs deep, the mountains keep secrets, and the hottest thing around might be the man sworn to protect it all.”

The story is a mystery, filled with suspense, danger, and the complexities of life and death, featuring the good, the bad, and the ugly of humanity. It is a slow-burn romance, a hidden agenda, the past coming back, and the future protecting not only one woman, but the code of honor he upholds, bringing his skillset, and knowing who to call for assistance.

Caleb Knox is a man of honor, a man who served his country, giving it all he had. He cared about the men under him, but when you have a traitor in your midst who sells you out, lives are lost, respect is shattered, and the career you cherished, gone. Moving to the outskirts of Glacier Hollow in Alaska, he is a hermit who wants to be left alone. When Zeke, the town sheriff, calls for help, Caleb will assist. And Wren, his hippie-dippy sister, lives there too.

Bryn Calder is a wildlife biologist. She was supposed to meet her brother, Chris, after his hike in Glacier Hollow, but he never showed up. She will manage to get temporarily attached to the conservation survey in the Talon Mountain region. Her arrival stirs up some angst with the locals.
Bryn: Look, Sheriff, I’m not trying to make trouble for you, for Chris, for the town, for anybody. I just want to find my brother or find out what happened to him.

Zeke: Come on. You don’t know these mountains. Neither did your brother. You can’t go looking for him on your own. You’ll need help. Best man for the job would be Caleb Knox. Best tracker I’ve ever worked with. Lives up there like a hermit. Doesn’t like visitors.
Bryn: Perfect. Grumpy mountain men with boundary issues are my specialty.

The story will have Caleb using his military training, tracking, and trying to solve what happened to the missing hiker, Chris Calder. I think he admires the gumption and forwardness of Bryn, along with her determination to continue forward. I liked the slow-sizzle romance that is forming between them, yet they both keep their boundaries, almost like they are avoiding the inevitable. When it does come to fruition, it’s full of passion, trust, and chemistry.

“Knox protocol: engage, confirm, finish.”

The story has the good, the bad, and the evil of people. Missing animals, discarded trackers, and things that go bump in the night. Bryn will be injured in a fall. Caleb will learn she is made up of sterner determination than many. Together, along with trusted friends, they find answers, even if they aren’t all that she is looking for. It also gives closure to Caleb.

The story is a page-turning, action-packed, good-versus-evil tale with resolutions. It will have several people from the previous story, like Zeke and Sadie.

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4*
Bryn has come to Talon Mountain determined to find her brother who disappeared. Caleb and Bryn have basically an Instalove/lust draw and he is determined to protect her. Dangerous situations abound and then they work with Zeke and Sadie, his sister Wren and Nate uncovering dangerous secrets. There was a lot of repetition that slowed me down and I wished for more depth. It continues the plot thread and leaves things open for the next book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mandy Grepares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very action-packed story by Delta James! Bryn is on a quest to find her brother, and Caleb is the only person who can assist her. Their first encounter is filled with tension. Caleb knows that she will challenge his defenses. The attraction was immediate, but so was the peril. The conclusion felt somewhat hurried, leaving some questions unanswered. Until the next installment!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my Talon Mountain certainly works fast. I think this one has the fastest I love you marry me of all Delta’s books.
This one was wonderful I absolutely love Caleb and Bryn they mesh beautifully. He starts out as the grumpy man on the mountain greeting her at the door with his rifle pointed at her. She of course had the guts to ignore the door he shut in her face, he should have locked it. But after that somewhat rocky start they certainly took off with a bang and got their HEA.
Can’t wait for Wren and Nate and it would be awesome to also get a Chris story.

I received this ARC for free from the author and this review is voluntary.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this had a reasonable storyline but it
was just a tad slow to start off with.
The chemistry between the characters is good.
Hope we find out what happen to Chris in the next
book.
I voluntarily review a copy of this book via booksirens .

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually had to create a new shelf for this book because it's now the second one that I've read that felt like it had been fed through a wood chipper and then the chapters that survived were awkwardly Frankensteined back together. So, now that it's apparently become a trend, might as well save myself the time and just make it a shelf.

I don't even really know where to begin with this story. The plot makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. Like, none of it. Not the reason the heroine comes to Alaska, not her relationship with the hero, not the actions of the characters in the story, not the villain's actions. Hell, even the TIMELINE doesn't make sense.

It was really just so bizarre that I actually both had trouble following what was happening and also struggled to even muster enough fucks to give to actually finish the book. And it was only 150 pages long! And the worst part is, after forcing myself to power through so I could write a complete review, it actually turns out that most of the plot points go unresolved! What a letdown.

And that's not to mention the insane amount of repetition in this story. The same phrases are used over and over again, often in close succession within a chapter, or even within a scene. Like this little gem from the prologue:

"Reynolds was jittery, distracted, avoiding eye contact, and checking our six like he expected a ghost to appear. He glanced over his shoulder constantly, as if expecting a ghost..."

I didn't splice those two lines together from separate places in the story. That's exactly how it is in the published text. Two sentences that say the exact same thing, right down to the comment about a ghost, given one right after the other. That's just bad writing.

At first as I was reading this story I thought it felt like a first draft. Something the author had written piecemeal, a chapter here, a chapter there, with long stretches of time between the writing sessions so that she forgot she'd used certain phrasing in what in book-time was just a few moments ago. Which is pretty bad all by itself. I mean, that would mean that NO ONE, including the author, had ever bothered to read this book start to finish once it was done, to catch all these irritations.

But as the story progressed, it just got so bad that I couldn't even see that as an excuse anymore. There are so many holes in this plot that it doesn't even make sense. Characters appear out of nowhere and then behave as if they have a deep, abiding friendship with the heroine even though they're meeting her for the first time.


The story opens with a flashback to the hero's dark past. Caleb is a Navy SEAL in a middle eastern country and his squad mate, Reynolds, is acting shifty. Caleb's instincts are screaming at him that something is wrong but for reasons that are never explained, he ignores this instinct. The team is ambushed and two of their squad, including Caleb's best friend, are killed. Reynolds disappears in the chaos and it's later learned that he took a bribe to sell out their position. And yet, for some reason Caleb is the one who gets blamed by the military? I don't understand how they can know for 100% that Reynolds betrayed them but still consider Caleb to be at fault. But don't bother wasting time worrying about that logic fallacy because there are MUCH bigger ones coming.

Chapter one kicks off with our heroine, Bryn, sitting and waiting for her brother. She flew to Alaska to meet up with him, but he hasn't shown up. We soon find that Bryn hasn't spoken to her brother at all in the last two weeks. Which doesn't make sense. How could she have thought it was normal for her to be flying to meet him but not in communication AT ALL for the 2 weeks leading up to her touchdown?

She reports his disappearance to the local police but they're completely uninterested in helping her look for him. All they do is file a missing person's report and tell her that it's possible he wanted to disappear because most of the people in that neck of the woods are looking to be left alone. Bryn leaves with the firm conviction that she's going to have to find her brother herself.

Chapter two kicks off with us finding out its A FULL YEAR LATER and she's just now getting around to traveling to the her brother's last known location to begin the search. What The FUCK? Why would she wait an entire year to go look for him???? Wouldn't his trail be completely cold by then? What if he'd been lying in the forest, injured and barely hanging on? Her waiting this long would just guarantee that he had either frozen or starved to death. No explanation is ever given for this time gap.

In town, Bryn's first stop is the sheriff's office. He tells her that he remembers her brother and that he'd advised the brother not to go hiking in the area he was planning to because it was dangerous, wild country. He recommends Bryn stay away from it, but if she insists on going anyway, she should go ask Caleb for help because he's the best guy around for trekking through the dangerous mountain trails.

Bryn goes to Caleb's the next day and, though he tells her at gunpoint to get lost, she just refuses to leave and keeps asking him for help. Caleb still says no, but does give her some pointers about going into the mountains. He says that, if she sees, hears, or feels anything "weird" she should trust that it's real and run away from it. Don't waste time on telling herself that she's imagining things.

We're also treated to some of Caleb's perspective here and he's basically in insta-lust with Bryn, though she doesn't seem to be nearly as affected by him. Bryn heads off and Caleb immediately starts following her. He even says in his inner monologue that he's not going to let her go up on the mountain alone. Which just begs the question of why the fuck he didn't just agree to escort her in the first damn place.

On the trail, Bryn sees some cameras lashed to trees. Only, something came along and trashed them. Some of the cameras just have their wires neatly cut, but others have been ripped off the trees. And below those trees are strange tracks. They look human, but are bigger, heavier, and spaced too far apart. This little nugget of information made me suspect this was a supernatural story and it would turn out there was a community of yetis or bigfoots or shapeshifters or whatever living on this mountain and Bryn's brother had found them and been living with them all this time.

But guess what? WE NEVER FIND OUT. Seriously, this plot thread is just totally dropped here. The whole book they never find anything but regular animals and humans on the mountain. And, worst of all, WE NEVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FUCKING BROTHER! Seriously. The entire reason the heroine is there, and it's not resolved by the end. Like, they don't even have a CLUE to follow at the end. They just quietly resolve to "widen their search" and that's supposed to be HEA. What a joke.

Anyway, Bryn swiftly does something stupid which results in her getting a sprained ankle. Caleb appears and acts WAY over the top in his worry for her, considering that they just met a few hours ago and had one five-minute conversation. His inner monologue is full of things like "he couldn't lose her" and other such things that are NOT warranted this early in the story.

He carries her back to his cabin, which confused me because the way it had been described, I thought they were much further away from his cabin than we were now being told they were. And we're expected to believe that he carried Bryn, like, cradled against his chest, for over a mile in deep snow drifts. Not, like, on his back or in a fireman carry or anything like that. Not even having her hop on her good leg. Nope. He can just do that.

At the cabin he doctors her up and puts her in his bed. It seems like things are going to get steamy for a second but then Caleb walks away. And then in the very next scene they just go ahead and have sex. This sex scene also had a lot of repetition in it with Bryn dragging her nails down Caleb's spine like five times.

Up to this point, the story was mostly cohesive, but after this it really goes off the rails so my summary is going to be choppier because it really didn't make sense to me. The morning after our MCs have sex, Caleb's sister, Wren, her husband, and the sheriff are just suddenly at Caleb's cabin and they're all strategizing. No explanation of when or why they were called in. They’re just there. Deal with it. Wren has, for some reason, brought a tablet that can track the collars of all the local wolves and moose and things that have been tagged. And they decide pretty quickly that there's a gang of illegal poachers operating in this dangerous part of the mountain.

Then this ragtag group goes on like 8 different missions to gather evidence and are able to do so without any difficulty whatsoever. And this is all accomplished by following the tracker on a single female wolf. Somehow following her leads them to the poachers' hideouts, even though I would have thought she would have run as far away from them as she could.

And Bryn keeps insisting on going on these expeditions even though she's got a badly sprained ankle and Caleb keeps allowing it. Now, I will say that one of the very few places where the author DID more or less maintain continuity was with this ankle. I've read plenty of other books where the heroine twisted her ankle in one scene and then was totally fine in the next. So at least this author kept the ankle as a liability the whole time.

But precisely BECAUSE it was a liability the whole time, it didn't make sense for her to keep going on these missions. And it definitely didn't make sense for her and Wren to keep being the ones to get close to the bad guys to try to record them saying incriminating things. Her bad ankle cause her to give away their position, TWICE, and they nearly got caught but then...just didn't.

Honestly, these villains were just completely incompetent. Like we keep getting told that they're dangerous. They're murderers. The sheriff thinks they're responsible for the deaths of at least 3 people, not even counting Bryn's missing brother. But every time they come close to our heroes they just....leave. Like, at one point Bryn and Caleb are back at his cabin. The bad guys know about them and so he's set up tripwires all around his house which will activate flares if anyone gets close. And the bad guys do, indeed, show up and trip one of those wires. Caleb then goes OUT THROUGH THE FRONT FUCKING DOOR, making himself a massive target....but nothing happens. The bad guys have left.

I'm sorry, what? Why did they even show up in the first place if they didn't plan to do anything??? Make it make sense! And what kind of ultra careful Navy SEAL is Caleb that he doesn't even have a back door or cellar or escape hatch or anything to act as a backup in case he's ever attacked? Unbelievable.

And the timeline around all this poacher business was a nightmare to follow too. I swear team hero said "tomorrow is the big day" like four different times and each time when tomorrow came nothing was happening until the NEXT day. And the bad guys knew Bryn and company were on to them, as evident by them coming to check out Caleb's cabin in the night. So, since they knew the authorities were closing in and they, apparently, weren't willing to kill those people since they had a golden opportunity to get rid of Caleb and didn't take it, you would THINK they'd take some other kind of action instead. Like, saaaaayyy FUCKING LEAVING??? They're smuggling animal pelts and organs. I think they could work through the night to get that shit on the helicopter and begone before morning when team good guy has planned their little raid.

Like I said, nothing in this plot really made sense. Oh, and get this - the ring leader of the poachers just HAPPENS to be Reynolds. Yep, out of all the forests in all the mountains in all the world, he just HAPPENED to pick the one that is a mile from his betrayed former squad mate's cabin. BULL-FUCKING-SHIT.

But anyway, team good guy busts the poachers with virtually no effort whatsoever. Caleb gets a chance to kick Reynolds' ass which I guess is supposed to be closure for him or something. And as soon as it's all over, Caleb gets down on one knee and proposes to Bryn, even though they've only known each other for like three days, have only had sex twice, and have literally NEVER had a legit conversation that didn't surround the poachers or Caleb's tragic backstory. And one of the other good guys actually yells out "Finally!" when this happens too. As if they've all been holding their breath for months hoping these two perfect strangers would get together.

And, as I've mentioned, the story wraps up with Bryn sure that her brother is out there somewhere and that they'll find him eventually.

What a nightmare this story is. Nothing in it makes sense. Why did Bryn wait so long to look for her brother? Why did Caleb follow her instead of just agreeing to go with her in the first place? Why did they keep involving Bryn in all their espionage missions when she was a huge liability? Why was Caleb ultra-worried about Bryn but not even a little bit about his sister? For that matter, why wasn't Wren's own HUSBAND worried about her? I gather they're the MCs of the previous book so, I'd expect him to be a bit more protective. Why were the bad guys so flaccid? Why were they willing to kill people off-page, but kept going out of their way to let our MCs go? Why didn't they move up their timeline to leave once they realized the good guys were onto them? And why did team good guy keep waiting until "tomorrow" to do anything?

And what about those mysterious "tracks" the heroine found next to where the cameras had been ripped out of the trees. Not only are they never explained, but no one even does a second of critical thinking about them. Like, they're in the mountains, in winter. If there are tracks in the snow, it means they have to be very fresh because anything else would have been quickly covered over with fresh snowfall and wind blowing already lain snow around, right? So, that means they just missed the Yeti or whatever the fuck it was right? Yeah, so here's the real question - Who the fuck put that camera in the tree then?????

It's presented to us like Bryn's brother had put it there a year ago, but that doesn't make sense because the tracks would have been long gone by now. And it wouldn't have been the bad guys, because they're doing something illegal so the last thing they'd want is photographic evidence of their crimes. Not to mention that it was heavily implied that they were the ones who had "cut the wires" on the other cameras which were NOT ripped off the trees. So who put it up there?

Tune in next book, if you want an answer to that, I guess? Except nothing about this book makes me even remotely interested in picking up the next one. Can't recommend.

[Sandy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75stars--GUARDIAN OF TALON MOUNTAIN is the second instalment in Delta James’ contemporary, adult MEN OF TALON MOUNTAIN erotic, romantic suspense series set in Anchorage Alaska. This is former US Army soldier Caleb Knox, and wildlife biologist Dr. Bryn Calder’s story line. GUARDIAN OF TALON MOUNTAIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Caleb and Bryn) GUARDIAN OF TALON MOUNTAIN focuses on the search for Dr. Bryn Calder’s brother Chris, who went missing one year earlier on Talon Mountain in Glacier Hollow near Anchorage Alaska. Five years earlier a betrayal while on assignment in Mosul, Iraq found Caleb Knox before a court marshal tribunal with no place to go. Fast forward to present day, Caleb Knox lives alone on Talon Mountain but the arrival of Dr. Bryn Calder forces Caleb to venture forth in an effort to protect the woman with whom he will fall in love but all is not as it appears to be, as Bryn begins her journey in the hopes of uncovering the truth, our couple find themselves in a life and death situation when the mountain predators become the prey in a game of winner takes all.

The world building focuses on the search for the truth, and the discovery of a group of trappers who are more than they appear to be. The kills are relentless, the missing go unfound, and Caleb begins to suspect a predator from his past. With the help of Sheriff Zeke MacAllister, and Caleb’s sister Wren, the duo go on the hunt for the people taking aim at the pride of Talon Mountain. Once again, a switch in writing style-more colorful and descriptive but a bit repetitive.

The relationship between Caleb and Bryn begins acrimoniously. Caleb doesn’t want to deal with the outside world but Bryn is determined to find her brother, even if it gets her killed in the process. Resolute in his need to protect, Caleb takes control, as Bryn struggles with the possibility of never finding her brother. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the to,sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are determined and dogged in their need to protect. We are reintroduced to Sheriff Zeke MacAllister, his girlfriend Sadie, Caleb’s sister Wren, and police officer Nate Barrett. The requisite evil has many faces.

GUARDIAN OF TALON MOUNTAIN is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing and dramatic; the romance is provocative; the characters are dynamic and strong-willed.

copy supplied for review

[JigsawGirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while.to realize this was a continuation of the mystery on Talon Mountain. The first book had me anticipating the next in the series. This book did not hold my interest the same as book 1.

I was intrigued at the beginning reading about the betrayal Caleb endured, Bryn's missing brother, and Caleb and Bryn's first encounter. That initial interest started to fall off as Caleb went after Bryn. No discussion about going with her. She was unaware Caleb was tracking her. No interaction there at all.

I did not realize the mystery was continuing until Bryn started to find things that triggered memories from the first book. Maybe I needed to refresh my memory of the storyline by reading the first book again before starting this one.

Caleb and Bryn seemed to me to miss that nice balance this author achieves with her couples. Caleb and Bryn were Insta everything. They knew nothing about each other, but fell into an immediate relationship. I kept waiting to read Caleb was a shifter so I could at least have the fated mate thing to hold on to as an explanation. There was very little build up to that relationship.

I didn't dislike this book. There were interesting parts of it. I actually liked Caleb and Bryn together. I enjoyed Zeke, Noah, Wren, Sadie working together with Bryn and Caleb. I kept wondering, if Caleb was such a recluse, why did they all trust each other so much? How could they know him well enough to be that trusting? It seemed like everything happened rapidly and in somewhat of a disjointed manner. Then we were suddenly at the HEA. There wasn't enough background explanation or info for me in this book. Maybe it was meant to be read as a standalone. I would recommend that you read it and judge for yourself.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Guardian of Talon Mountain' is the second book in the "Men of Talon Mountain" series. This gripping novella delivers a storyline packed with suspense, danger, and the stark realities of life and death, unmasking the good, bad, and the ugly sides of humanity. It features a slow-burning romance with a hidden agenda.

Bryn Calder, a dedicated wildlife biologist, is determined to find her brother, Chris, who went missing after his hike in Glacier Hollow. Instead of waiting around, she takes charge by joining a conservation survey in the Talon Mountain region. Her arrival stirs up tension with the locals, and she is directed to seek the expertise of Caleb Knox, a rugged mountain man. Caleb, a man of honor and a former serviceman, has fought hard for his country but has faced betrayal that forced him into a solitary life on the outskirts of Glacier Hollow.

When Caleb realizes that Bryn has ignored his explicit instructions, he acts decisively and follows her into the perilous wilderness, ultimately rescuing her after she falls down a ravine and injures her ankle.

What follows is an undeniable attraction that ignites in a passionate encounter—one that is as much about claiming each other as it is about forging a deep connection. Caleb recognizes Bryn’s fierce determination, intelligence, and fiery passion, understanding that she is meant to walk beside him, not behind him.

Together with Zeke, Sadie, his sister Wren, and her partner Nate, they uncover a secret black-market poaching ring. Their relentless pursuit to dismantle this operation is brisk and dangerous, delivering an exhilarating narrative.

The bond between Caleb and Bryn is a powerful mix of claiming and surrender, transcending conventional romance and redefining their connection.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super fast-paced novella length story with a suspenseful storyline. Bryn is on a personal mission to find her missing brother when she’s directed to seek out mountain man, Caleb Knox, to help guide her into the Alaskan wilderness. Caleb is fiercely determined to remain a loner and at first isn’t willing to help Bryn with her goal. When he realizes she’s ignored his commanded instructions he follows her into the dangerous wilderness and ends up rescuing her when she falls down a ravine and severely sprains her ankle.

The attraction between them erupts into a sizzling hot encounter that is as much a claiming as it is a deep connection. Caleb recognizes her determination, intelligence, stubbornness and passion; and that’s she’s meant to walk alongside him instead of behind him.

Their collaboration with Zeke and Sadie, his sister Wren and Nate uncovers a secret blackmarket poaching ring. The hunting and take down is fast-past and dangerous, with addictive storytelling.

The connection between Caleb and Bryn is more instant claiming and surrender versus anything romantic, but it’s powerful and thrilling.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful second book in this series, Bryn is searching Glacier Hollow for her Brother
Bryn Calder has decided to visit Glacier Hollow in search of her missing brother, Chris who she believed had travelled to this location and it was believed that he had not been seen since. In her heart she just knows that something is not right and that there is a problem with her brother and was determined to do whatever it takes to find him.
Sher had been referred by the sheriff to see a loner that lived isolated in a cabin and he was an expert on the Hollow and when she met Caleb Knox and he had agreed to help her reach the cabin that her brother was supposedly staying in.
Bryn had not seemed pleased to see him and yet he was determined to help her locate her brother as agreed. On the trail he had been surprised at the things she had seen on the trail. This was a wonderful read and I found the characters and the plot engaging and I guarantee that other readers will enjoy every moment of this amazing book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the wonderful writing.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brun was a force to be reckoned with, but I'm not sure anyone stood a chance against Caleb. I laughed out loud when she did exactly what he told her not to though - atta girl, though not if he hadn't been following.😉 These two had some serious chemistry, and it seemed to bring out Caleb's posessive and protective instincts in spades. Naturally, Bryn got her hackles raised and they were off. What made this book particularly interesting to me was how it kind of armed with Zeke's story using the town as a conduit, though for a different purpose this time. Glacer Hollow can't catch a break. It's bad enough the critters are bring mercilessly (and illegally) hunted, the operation has brought Ghosts from Caleb's past back to his present day living. This can only end one way. Grab your copy and join in the hunt!

I was thrilled to receive a gift copy of this book abd voluntarily provided this review. Happy Reading Y'all 📚

[Knight Linda]

Bryn Calder goes to Glacier Hollow searching for her brother, Chris who had went there to hike some of the lesser known trails. She knew something was wrong when he did not meet her at their agreed upon time. She was referred by the sheriff to see a hermit of a man Caleb Knox, as he knew those trails best of anyone for help. When Bryn arrived at his cabin Caleb was not happy to see her, but he was instantly attracted to her. In fact, he sent her away and then followed her. They ended up together a short time later when she ran across some strange things on the trail. That was only the beginning of the excitement as they had stumbled onto an advanced poaching ring. Action packed, romantic suspense, mystery, and intrigue while they solve the poaching case and search for Chris with the help of Sheriff Zeke and Caleb's sister, Wren.

[Mandy Pittman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really hate to rate this so poorly but unfortunately it deserves it. I loved the first book. It kept me locked in and I loved all the things. A lot of things just didn’t work for me in this book and I had to push to get it done and it was only 150 pages. When I first started the book and seen it was that short I was mad because I hate short books. It didn’t take long for me to be appreciative of it being so short because I just wanted it to end. I honestly can’t even hardly process the “plot” I use that term loosely of this book. Also what in the instalove was I reading and when he proposed I literally had to set my kindle down and be like where the hell did that come from. I was excited for the storylines of other characters but I don’t know that I will continue the series if they are like this book.

[Laure · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend to other readers. When Bryn Calder arrived in Glacier Hollow, she had one goal; find her missing brother. Caleb Knox knows that mountain, but the last thing he needs is a woman who seems determined to get herself killed traipsing around the mountain, alone. So, he does the last thing he wanted to do, he agrees to help her find her brother. But what they uncover is a smuggling pipeline, and at the head of it is the man who betrayed Caleb and the rest of his team on the mission that ended Caleb's military career. Wow, plenty of steam and packed with exciting action. Lots of twists in the plot with compelling and realistic characters this book kept me engrossed from the first page to the last.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Book Sirens.

[Marlene Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bryn was waiting for the return of her brother Chris from a hike in the Glacier Hollow Alaska area, but it's been over a month since he disappeared and when goes to Anchorage police, gave her no hope of them finding her brother… year goes by, decides to look for him herself. She goes to local sheriff, Zeke, who advises Bryn to ask Caleb as well-known guide to assist… of course he refuses, but she is determined, and when she goes anyway, he follows to make sure nothing happens to the exasperating woman who has already started him thinking and remembering her brother… but there's something going on in the mountains, with wildlife trackers from biologists unexplainably gone dead per Caleb's sister Wren… but could Bryn's brother have found something he shouldn't??? You will need to read this mystery to see what happens… I voluntarily read this book through an Advanced Reader Copy.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryn is a woman who doesn’t take no for an answer. Searching for her missing brother, she gets the run-around and disinterest from so many “officials”, she decides her only option is to search for him herself. In Glacier Hollow, she is referred to Caleb who knows the area, but he’s a lone wolf mountain hermit if there ever was one. He hasn’t let anyone into his life in years and likes it that way. Surprisingly, since Bryn is not, and hasn’t had the opportunity to be, easy going or biddable, Caleb finds he likes and respects her strength and spirit - as long as she listens to him when the chips are down! A lot going on with illegal activity and a lot of people supporting Caleb and Bryn in their fight to close it down. And it’s only Round One! Good read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

THRILLING AND SUSPENSFUL

Caleb. An op gone bad. Betrayal. Dishcharged. Escapes to Alaska. Glacier Hollow. Family that doesnt let go.

and Bryn. A brother missing. Should be in Glacier Hollow. Law enforcment unconcerned.

They cross paths when she goes looking for her missing brother. Says she doesnt belong. Says she should leave things alone. Says shes his to protect when she gets entangled in danger.

There are secrets revealed. Very strong and opinionated charecters. Made for each other.

I read some of the other reviews and people tend to take the stories too literally and criticize on that basis instead of just enjoying the beauty of the story. These are amazing stories written by an amazing author for entertainment. Each story is significant on its own. Read and enjoy.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Super Fast Engaging Read!

WOW! This one is full of action as Caleb and Bryn get together to find out the mystery on the mountain.

Caleb Knox now a grumpy mountain man meets his match in Bryn and the instant attraction and chemistry is felt throughout the pages.

Bryn has ulterior motives, she on the trail of her brother who disappeared and together with Caleb and some well meant friends, they follow the clues her brother had left behind.

Excitement, Danger, Betrayal, Sizzling Heat and a Protective Alpha makes this an amazing read you won’t be able to put down until you’ve read the last page.

Can’t wait for the next in the series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really did like Bryn and Caleb, as well as Zeke, Nate, and Wren. However, I found the story to be confusing. It's like they so rode around on snowmobiles for awhile and suddenly had figured out a animal organ smuggling ring and where everything was headquartered. They fought the smugglers off several times, but somehow managed to outsmart them every time. Talon Mountain, Alaska is certainly a hotbed of conspiracy, murder, and insta-love! The weather was also apparently in on the conspiracy.

Anyway, I like the characters, so there is that going for it. Some things were not resolved, maybe in the next book. I will continue to read the series for the hunky men. I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.

[Cheryl Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a sister's love for her brother. Bryn is a very strong willed individual who when her brother Chris goes missing, she will do anything to find him. Caleb is a hardened soldier who put his faith and trust in the wrong person and suffered a terrible loss because of it. His escape is on Talon Mountain. When Bryn won't take no for an answer, Caleb reluctantly agrees to help Bryn in her search. What they find will surprise even them. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I had a little bit of a hard time reading this book. I felt like I was missing some valuable parts in the story. I wish the author had made it a longer story to fill in some of those moments. I felt like it was just skipping in the story plot.

[Claire RC · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling story, so much action, so much heat and passion. Loved Caleb and Bryn’s no nonsense, take no prisoners characters. Bryn is thrust into Caleb’s reluctant company when she arrives in town looking for her missing brother and Caleb just happens to be the best tracker around. Caleb has a past history and is quite distrustful at first but as they spend more time with each other, he has to start trusting her. Together, they stumble on illegal poaching whose leader is none other than the person responsible for Caleb’s past history. I’m hoping that Bryn’s brother will either get a story or at least get completion. Thoroughly enjoyable story.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Vickie Chaisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guardian of Talon Mountain is the second book in the Men of Talon Mountain series by Delta James. The storyline is suspenseful and succinct full of good versus evil, animal organ trafficking, old trauma and new drama, found family, and team survival and camaraderie and romance. The world building and descriptive language will entice the reader into the Alaskan cold and you will feel the chill of a well written griping quick read. Character driven stories are always the best and Caleb and Bryn bring intense loyalty, chemistry and protectiveness into the mix. The twists and turns in the story will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will not put this book down until the final page. Definitely looking forward to the next in this series.

[ltfrom bc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. I so love the grumpy mountain guys who fall for girl. Caleb is that grumpy mountain guy who soon finds himself not so grumpy when he meets and eventually falls for Bren. Bryn has come to Alaska to find her missing brother Chris and she does not plan to leave without finding answers. And she will find them with or without the help of Caleb. He soon finds himself helping Bryn look for him. What these two do not expect to find are smugglers/poachers and worse - murderers. And if that is not enough, Caleb's military past comes back to haunt him. As they search the wilds of Alaska looking for answers to what happened to Chris, they find each other. It is a great Insta-Love story with a lot of intrigue.

[Shelly Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is Bryn and Caleb's story. It was good and moved at a good pace until the end then it went into hyperdrive which felt like the author was trying to get everything out of her head but didn't take enough time to get it in order and write it were it made sense. Bryn is looking for her missing brother and Caleb decides to guide her. The ending was a bit confusing in that it really wasn't explained what they were doing with what they were shipping out. Fair warning, this is one of the author insta overload. It was a reach that the two main characters went so far in so fast after knowing the background of them. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was another fantastic book to read, the characters were amazing. This story was about Bryn Calder, and Caleb Knox, ex-military after he was betrayed and he lost all his men from being ambushed, now he lives on Talon Mountain, in Alaska. Caleb likes the Mountain everyone knows to leave him alone, he has boobytraps everywhere so not to be disturbed. Bryn, is a human biologist for wildlife, she was looking for him but needs help and knocked on his door. Caleb knows they are Fated Mates, then a bad snowstorm is rolling in, now she is stuck in his house. Bryn was looking around when a gun goes off and a bullet goes past her, only Caleb can save her being in the crosshairs.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryn is determined to find her brother who disappeared a year ago on Talon Mountain in Alaska. Caleb, though they just met, is determined to keep her safe. As the danger mounts, Caleb realizes he has been ignoring the signs that something was not right on the "his" mountain, and becomes just as determined to get answers, while still keeping Bryn safe. They learn to love and trust each other and to compromise so that they and the others in law enforcement work together to stop the illegal activities and move closer to finding the truth about Bryn's brother Chris. Looking forward to more books in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Barbara Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caleb has hidden away on Talon Mountain since losing some of his team after a betrayal.
Bryn’s brother has vanished and nobody is prepared to do anything about it, so, now that he has been missing a year, Bryn is determined to find out what has happened to him.
Bryn goes to Calebs reclusive house to ask him to lead her up the mountain, however she is met with a shotgun.
This is a fantastic suspense romance: action starts right at the beginning and keeps going to the end. Loved the main characters: Caleb the grumpy, guilt-ridden former SEAL and Bryn the strong, independent woman, determined to find her brother.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an ARC copy of the book.

[Amanda Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bryn has gone to Glacier Hollow, looking for her brother, who disappeared a year ago. Caleb left the forces under a cloud and is now the quintessential mountain man, a hermit hiding in the hills. He's been recommended by the sheriff to help Bryn in the mountains.
She's attracted to him but determined to find her brother. It seems that her brother was imagining high end drones and unknown tracks through the mountains but maybe not.
Can Caleb and his friends find out what's going on? Will Bryn stay behind? Of course not!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An entertaining romantic suspense from Delta.